Cutter for ensilage harvesters and the like



A. G. RONNING ET AL CUTTER FOR ENSILAGE HARVESTERS AND THE LIKE FiledNov. 14 1919 5 Sheets-Sheet l April 7, 1925.

April'7, 1925.

5 Shets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 14 1919 April 7, 1925. 1,532,266 A. G.RUNNING ET AL CUTTER FOR ENSILAGE HARVESTERS AND THE LIKE April 7, 1925.v 1,532,266

A. G. RONNING ET AL CUTTER FOR ENSILAGE HARVESTERS AND THE LIKE FiledNov. 14 1919 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 April 7,1925. 1,532,266

' A. G. FONNlNG ET AL CUTTER FOR ENSILAGE HARVESTERS AND THE LIKEFi'l'ed Nov, 14, 1919 SSheets-Sheet s Patented Apr. 7, 1925.

UMTED STATES PATENTOFFlCE -l nnnnnnn e. nonnrne Ann ADOLEH Ronnrne, orninnnnroms. MINNESOTA.

cU'rrnn non nnsrnaen neavnsrnns Ann LIKE.

Application filed November- 14, 1919. Serial No. 337,979.

To all whom it may concern: Fig. 2 is a detail through certain parts inBe it known that We, ANDREAN G. RoN- vertical section, approximately onthe line 5 NING and ADoLH-I Ronivnve, citizens of the 22 of Fig. 1; a rUnited States, residing at Minneapolis, in Fig. 3 vertical section takenthrough 5 the county of Hennepin and State of Minthe harvesterapproximately on the line ncsota, have invented certain new and use 33of Fig. '1, some parts being shown in ful Improvements in Gutters forEnsilage elevation; V 60 larvesters and the like; and we do hereby Fig.l is a side elevation of the ensilage declare the following to be afull, clear, cutter shown in Figs. 1 and 3;

1 and exact d scription ofthe invention, such Fig. is a fragmentary viewin side eleas will enable others skilled in the art to vation showingthegears Which-connectthe which it appertains to make and use theensilage cutting drums orwhcels in intero same. meshing rotation insynchronisn'i;

Our present invention relates particu- Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectionon the la larly to that type of agricultural machines line 6-43 of Fig.4; 7

known as cnsilage harvesters and is directed Fig. 7 is a plan viewillustrating the p ensilage cutter, but involves other features silageharvester; oi. novelty as will hereinafter appear. Fig. 8 1S aviewcorresponding to Fig. 5; Generally stated, the invention consists of butshowing the gears that connect thecu rImarily to the provision of animproved somewhat modified construction of the en the novel devices andcombinations of deting drums of the machine illustrated in viceshereinafter described and defined in Fig. 7; the claims. Fig. 9 showsthe machine illustrated in The ensilage cutter involves a radically Fig.7 chiefly in side elevation but with new departure from old lines ofcutters and some parts sectionedlon the line 0 9 of is of such naturethat the cutting elements Fig. 7; I have a combined cutting and feedingaction Fig. 10 is a rear elevation of the ensilage S on the stalks. Inits preferred embodiharvester shown in Figs. 7 and 9,. some ment, theensilage cutter comprises two roparts being diagrammatically indicatedby 31) tary drums having circumferentially spaced dotted lines only andsome parts being radially projecting and longitudinally eX- broken away;

tended intermeshing blades that run to- Fig- 11 i Z Side elfivflim OfThe ell-Silage s5 gcther somewhat like. gears. Otherwise cutter shown 1nFigs. 7 9 and 10; stated, in the present arrangement, the cut- Fig. 121s a section on the line 12--13 of ter drums are sort of squirrel cagestruc- Fig. 11;

tures having hollow interiors into uhich Fig. 13 is a fragmentary viewpartly in the cut cnsilage may be forced, and then side elevation andpartly in section illus forced, or crowded out through the ends tintinga modified form of onc'of the enof the drums. silage cutting drums; ans7 -10 As another feature, the invention involves Fig. lat is a Similarvie". showing a still. an important relative arrangement of pri furthermodified form of ensilage cutting mary stalkcutter and co-operatingmeans u I for delivering the out down stalks to the T l fi i m tratedinFigs. 1 to ensilage cutter, the said means including lnchlswe W firstbe ri d.

45 devices whereby long stalks will be out in The Parts Of the61181111526 hilfvegtel", g

two, and the severed ends turned inward ly, may be briefly described asfoll ws:

and delivered endwise to the ensilage cutter. A suitable framework 15 iscarried by an The invention is illustrated in the acconixle 16 uponwhich laterally spaced tracpanying drawings wherein like characters tionWheels 17 are loosely journaled so that indicate like parts throughoutthe several they carry the entire weight of the harvesviews. ltteferringto the drawings: ter. Secured to and projecting forward.

Fig. 1 is a plan View of the complete from the main frame 15 is a pairof laterensilage harvester; ally spaced gathering forks l8 u on each ofwhich is arranged to run a pair of oblique gathering chains 19 and 20that are arranged to run, respectively, over sprockets 21 and 22 carriedby oblique shafts 23 journaled in suitable bearings on the saidgathering forks. The upper gathering chains 19 are much longer than thelower gathering chains 20. Said chains 19 run also over idle guidingsprockets 24 and 25 on the said frame 18 while the gathering chains 20,at their lower portions, run over idle sprockets 26 on the saidgathering frames. At their lower ends, the oblique shafts 23 areprovided with beveled pinions 27 that mesh with beveled gears 28 on asprocketequipped shaft 29, which latter drives an endless oblique stalkdelivery apron or belt 30. This endless agron 30 runs over an inclineddeck 31 supported by the main frame 15, and at its upper portion, itruns over a sprocket-equipped shaft 32 journaled in suit able bearingsafforded by the sides of the hood 33 mounted on the rear portion offrame 15. A hood 33 is provid d with a depending discharge spout 34 andwith. a forwardly extended hood top 35, the front end of whichterminates, preferably vertically over the rear portions of thegathering chains 19 and terminates in an upturned ed e 35 that performsan important function presently to be noted.

The standing stalks gathered between the forks 18 and between thelaterallyspaced gathering chains 19 and 20 will be guided to a primarystalk cutter for severing the stalks from the roots. This primary stalkcutter, so far as this invention is concerned, may be in any suitableform, but as shown, includes a blade-equipped sickle bar 36 that isguided for reciprocating movements on the front bar of the main frame15, working just below the channel formed between the gathering forksand gathering chains, just in front of the delivery apron 30, and it isconnected by a pitinan 37 (see Fig. 1) to a crank-equipped front end ofa longitudinal shaft 38 mounted in suitable bearings on the frame 15 andprovided at its rear end with a beveled pinion 39.

For cutting in two, longstalks, or all but the very short stalks weprovide a so-called secondary cutter, preferably in the form of twoco-operating overlapping sharp edged rotary disks L0 (see particularlyFigs. 1, 2 and 3) that are secured to hubs 41 j ournaled on sleeves 42rigidly secured to supports 43 that for n rigid parts of the respectivegathering forks 1S. Cne of the supports 43 is provided with a long boardextension 43 that extends above and at one side of the delivery apron30.

The stalks delivered to the secondary cutter lO will stand much morenearly erect than the shafts 23, and hence, thesaid shafts 23 (seeparticularly Figs. 2 and 3) are obliquely extended through and journaledin the bearing sleeves 12. The hub 4-1 that is on the same side as theboard extension 43 is provided with a sprocket 44. A toothequippedsprocket chain 1-5 that lies just above the ooard extension 13, runsover the sprocket l4 and over a sprocket 16 that is on the upper end ofa short upright shaft 17 journaled in the rear end of the board eretension 4-3. is connected to the inner or right hand end of thesprocket-equipped shaft 32 by a pair of miter gears 18.

i he ensilage cutter will next be described. Referring to theconstruction thereof, attention is first called to Figs. 1, 3, l, and 6.In the construction here illustrated, this ensilage cutter comprises twodrum-like rotary cutters, each comprising a disk-like central cutter 4:9provided with circumferentially spaced tranm ersely projecting cutterblaces so disposed that radial passages are formed to the said blades onthe opposite sides of the said dis The disks 49 are provided with hubsrigidly secured, the one to an upper driving shaft 51, and the other toa lower driving shaft 52, the said shafts being suitably journaled inhearings on the frame 15 and the said two cutting wheels being locatedwithin the hood 33 in position to receive the stalks directly from theupper portion of he delivery apron 30. two shafts 51 and 52 are gearedto run in synchronism by interzneshing spur gears 53 and secured,respectively, to the said shafts 51 and The blades of the two cuttingdrums interinesh and run toget her but should not come into actualcontact and to provide for accurate setting thereof. one of the gears issecured to its shaft by means perniittine" of slight circumf rentialadjustment in respect thereto. is shown.

the ear 5% is o video. witn laterally s need by l y lugs o5 with setscrews 0 6 tl at the opposite sides of an arm 5? rigidl, secured to theshaft (see p rticularly ig. 4'3).

The outer edges of the cutting; blades 50 of the ensilage cutting drumare wide and are concavcly ground so that they will have sharp cuttingedges at each side of the outer portion of each cutter blade. (Seeparticularly Fig. 1;.) The stalks, as they are cut into ensilage, willbe forced radially into the cutting drums, and to positively force thecut ensilag'e out of the end of the said drums, we provide suitablemeans, such as, curved discharge fingers 58 fastened to a suitablesupport, such as the interior of the hood 33 with their ends projectinto the interiors of the said cutti drums. l fingers will engage thematerial and dei the same outwardly at the outer ends of the dri s.

here it may be noted that the upper shaft 51 is provided with a beveledgear 59 that At its lower end, this shaft l? meshes with a beveledpinion 39 on shaft 38 to drive the primary cutter or sickle 36.

Working above the rear portion of the delivery apron 30 is arelativelyshort overhead delivery apron in the form of a,

slatted belt arranged to run over sprockets 61 and 62, the former ofwhich is secured to a shaft 63 journaled in the upper portion of thehood 33. Shaft 63, at one end, has a small sprocket 64 anda sprocketchain 65 is arranged to run over said sprocket and over a sprocket 66 onthe shaft 51 so that the said overhead delivery apron is driven from thesaid shaft 51.

Shaft 32, at its right hand end, has a sprocket 67 and a sprocket chain68 runs over this sprocket and over a sprocket 69 on shaft 51, so; thatthe lower or main delivery apron 80 is also driven from the shaft 51.

The two shafts 51 and 52, as above noted, are geared to rotate insynchronism. The said lower shaft 52 is driven from the traction wheel17, as shown, through the following conections. The said traction wheels17, on their inner faces, carry large spur gears 70 that mesh with spurpinions 71 that are normally loose on the outer ends of the lower shaft52 and are provided on their hubs with half clutches 72. These halfclutches 72 are adapted to be simultaneously engaged by sliding halfclutches 73 that are keyed to rotate with, but free to slide on saidshaft 52. For simultaneously moving the half clutches 73 they aresubject to shipper levers 74 pivoted to the rear portion of the frame 15and connected by suitable cables 74 to alever 7 5 (see Fig. 1) on thefront central portion of the main frame 15. By manipulation of the lever75, the two gears 71 may be simultaneously connected to the shaft 52 orsimultaneously disconnected therefrom, it being understood that suitablesprings 76 will be provided for tending to cause the half clutches 78 toenthe said half clutch 72.

In Figs. 1 and 3 are shown long spring fingers 7 7 attached at theirforward ends to one of their gathering forks 18 and extend rearward overthe delivery apron 30 in position to co-operate with the toothed chainor belt 45 to hold the stalks more or less upright, while they are beingdelivered to the ensilage cutter.

The cut ensilage delivered from the cutting drums will be directed bythe hood spoutil into the receiving end of an elevating spout 78 that issuitably hung from the roar oortion of the frame 15 and is provided withan endless blade-equipped elevator belt 79 arranged to run over suitableguiding sprockets 80 and preferably driven from the lower shaft throughdriving mechanism including co-opcrating beveled gears 81, a shaft 82,co-operating beveled gears 83 and a shaft 8%. This elevator and the saiddriving connections are but meagerly described, because they constituteno part of the pres ent invention.

The operation of. the mechanism described, briefly summarized, issubstantially as follows:'

Under forwardmovement of the machine, the standing stalks will begathered be tween the forks 1S and gathering chains 19 and 20 and whilein upright position, will be directed to the single or primary cutter 86and there severed from the ground. Corn stalks that are so short thatthey do not reach up to the secondary cutters 40 will be delivered, topends first, rearward, onto the delivery belt 30 but larger stalks willbe cut in two by the secondary cutting disks 40; and here it should bestated that the toothed chain or belt l-5 runs at higher speed than theapron 30, so that the severed end portions of the long stalks, by a sortof buckling action of the out stalk, will be turned inward and deliveredendwise to the ensilage cutter by the co-operative carrying actions ofthe apron 80 and belt 45. As the severed intermediate portions of thelong stalks are buckled or forked rearward, the upper portions of suchstalks will strike against the stop edge of the hood extension 35 andwill thereby be held back while the lower ends of the upper stalksections and the upper ends of the lower stalk sections are being turnedrearward for endwise delivery to the ensilag'e cutter.

The overhead apron 60 also assists in thus delivering the several stalksendwise to the ensilage cutter.

When the stalks are once brought enclwise into engagement with thecutting drums of the ensilage cutter, they will, of course, be cut intoshort lengths and the drums, in their cutting action, will produce apositive drawing in or feeding of the stalks once gripped by thecutters. In fact, with these cutting drums, when the stalks are oncebrought into initial contact therewith, there is no further need ofco-operating feeding mechanism for continuing the ceding action on thestalks thus delivered to the ensilage cutter.

W ith the wide double-edged cutter blades running in intermeshingrelation, as shown, the stalks will be cut into very short lengthstowit, into lengths less than the width of the space betweenco-operating blades, and the stalk sections thus cut will be crowdedinward through the space between blades until they are delivered intothe interior of the rotary cutting drums.

As already indicated, the out ensilage will be delivered to the elevatorand, by the latter, may be delivered into the box of a wagon driven atone side of the machine.

The machine illustrated in Figs. 7 to 12, inclusive, involves most ofthe features al ill) ready described in connection with the views, Figs.1 to 6, inclusive, but the ma chine here illustrated is designed tocarry the cut stalks 'in upright positions to the ensilage cutter andthen to deliver the sam butt ends downward, to said ensilago cutter.

In this modified arrangement, the cutting drums of the ensilage cutterare the same as already described but th y, and their shafts arearranged with their axes 51 and .52 set considerably nearer to the samehorizontal plane but connected for synchronous rotation through thegears 53 and 54C, their connection for driving the sickle or primarycutter and means for simultaneously operating the co-operating slidinghalf clutches are the same as iiireviously de scribed. In thisarrangement, however, the half clutches 85 co-operate with half clutcheson the hubs of sprocket wheels 85 on shaft 51 and sprocket chains 86 runover said sprocket wheels and over larger sprockets 87 carried by themain traction wheels 17 on main axle 19.

In this arrangement also, the gathering frames 155 are made long and areextended back over an inclined deck 88 supported by the main frame '15and at their rear ends, said fran'ies 18 are connected by a stop yoke 89that stops the upright stalks in a position in'unediately over thecooperative cutting drums of the ensilage cutter (see oarticularly Fig.9). Mounted to work on each gathering frame 18 are upper and lower andintermediate inclined tootlrequi ped gathering and feeding chains 99, 91and 92, respectively. The lower portions of the chain 90, 91 and 92'run, respectively, over idle guide sprockets 93, 9d and 95 and at theirupper portions, said chains run over sprockets 95 carried by obliquelyset but at proximately upright shafts 96 journaled in suitable hearingson the rear portions of the respective gathering frames. At their lowerends, the shafts 96 are connected by miter gears 97 to the shaft of themost forward cutting orum. This arrangement, as obvious, will cut thestanding stalks, carry the same in approximately upright positions overthe inclined deck 88 and deliver the same butt ends downward, to theensilage cutter.

In practice, the frame 15 will be carried on the axle 16 by meanspermitting of vertical adjustment thereof, and as shown in Figs. 7 and9, this means comprises yokelike tooth segments 98 secured to the sidesof the said frame 15, spur pinions 99 secured to said axle and meshingwith the teeth of said yokes, a worm gear 100 secured to one end of saidaxle and a worm 101 meshing with said worm lV rm 101 is shown as securedto the front end of an operating shaft 102, the front end of which ismounted in and held against endwise [he pole 105 is pivoted to one sideof the front oortion of frame 15 at 106 and for tilting the frame 15 soas to raise or lower the forward ends of the gathering 18, a latch lever10? is pivoted to ch arch 108 on the pole and is provided with a crankarm 109 that is connected by a link 119 and a forwardly projectingportion of frame 15.

In this last described form of the inachine, the ensilage cutter alsopreferably delivers to an elevator spout and endless conveyor thatoperates and is driven as already described, and as best shown in Fig.10.

l! 13 illustrates a slight modification in tl e form of the ell-silagecutting drum wherein the cutting blades 111 are detachable and arerigidly but detachably scrured to the flange 112 ofthe disk-like wheel11 by means of small nut-equipped bolts 114 The cutting blades 111, likethe cutting blades previously (escribed, are concavcly ground so thatthey have cutting edges at both sides.

1 5. 11- illustrates a further modification of the cutting drum in whichthe cutting blades 11:? are si, "leedgcd, are made L- shaped in crosssection and, by small nutequipped bolts 116, are dctachably secured to aflange 117 of the whcelor disk 118.

In the drawings, the various cutting and feeding devices are illustratedas driven from the traction wheels and in the type of ei'isilage cutterillustrator, the mach ne is assumed to be drawn forward by ho; or by asmall tractor, but it will, of con be understood net the eusilage cutteritself may carry its own power either for driving; the entire machineor'for driving the onsilau'e cutter or other parts.

The secondary cutter incorporated in the machine illustrated in Figs. 1to 6, inclusive. is a desirable feature and is especially important inthe cutting of heavy corn st l However, the secondary cutter may bepensed with on thesaid machine and the ma chine will operate to bend orbuckle the ion corn stalks rearward at their intermediate portions andto deliver the intermedutc portions of said bent stalks endwise to theeusilage cutter.

The form of ensilage cutter herein illustrated and claimed is alsoillustrated in our pending application S. N. 3520,3013 i i ldlarch 2nd.1911, and entitled Combination harvester and the present application is1 lioi filed as a division of the said prior ap plicatlon.

hat we claim is:

1. Anensilage cutter comprising co-operating rotary drums havingintermeshing circumferentially spaced blades arranged for a combinedcutting and feeding action on the stalks delivered thereto, said drumshaving hollow interiors into which the cut ensilage is forced, means forforcibly delivering the stalks to said drums, and means for dischargingthe cut ensilage from the interiors of said drums.

2. An ensilage cutter comprising co-opcr ating rotary drums havingintermesl'iing circuinferentially spaced blades arranged for a combinedcutting and feeding action on stalks delivered cndwise thereto, the saiddrums having hollow interiors and peripheral openings into which the outensilage is tIH'lJHGZIDS for discharging the cut cnsilage from theinteriors of said drums.

o. rm ensilage cutter comprising co-operatine rotary drums havinginteinneshing circiunrercntially spaced blades arranged for a combinedcutting and feeding action on stalks delivered endwise thereto, the saiddrums having hollow interiors and peripheral o ienings into which thecut ensilage is forced. means for delivering stalks endwise to saidcutters and forcing said stalks into said cutters and the interior ofsaid drums.

st. in an ensilage cutter, a pair of cooperating cutters operative onstalks delivcred thereto endwise Willi a combined. cutting and feedingaction, means for rotating said cutters in synchronism, means foradjusting the one cutter circumferentially forward or rearward, andmeans comprising two conveyors travelling at different speeds, adaptedto deliver the stalks to said drums, substantially as described.

An ensilage cutter comprising co--oper ating rotary drums havinginterineshing circun'iferentially spaced blades arranged for a combinedcutting and feeding action on stalks delivered endwise thereto, meansindependently of said cutters for rotating said drums in synchronism,means for setting one of said drums circumfercntially forward orrearward in. respect to the other, and means comprising two conveyorstravelling at different speeds, adapted to deliver the stalks to saiddrums, substantially as described.

6. An ensilage cutter comprising co-operating rotary drums havinginterineslnng circumferentially spaced blades arranged for a means foradjusting one of sait gears forward or rearward in respect to the drumto which it is connected, and means comprising two conveyors travellingat different speeds and adapted to deliver the ends of stalks to saiddrums. V

T. An ensilage cutter comprising co-operating rotary drums havinginternicshing cir cumfercntially spaced blades arranged for a combinedcutting and feeding action on stalks delivered endwise thereto, the saidcutters having wide outer portions sharp= ened at both edges to therebyproduce a double cutting action on the stalks passed between the bladesof the co-operating drums. 8. An ensilage cutter comprising co-operatingrotary drums having interineshing circuinferentially spaced bladesarranged for a combined cutting and feeding action on stalks deliveredendwise thereto, these-id cutters having wide outer portions sharpenedat both edges to thereby produce a double cutting action on the stalkspassed between the blades of the co-operating drums, the said drumshaving hollow interiors into which the cut ensilage is forced, the saiddrums being open at their ends for the discharge of the ensiiagetl'ierefroni.

9. An ensilage, cutter comprising cooperuntig rotary drums havingintermeshing circui'nferentially spaced blades arranged for a combinedcutting and feeding action on slalks delivered endwise thereto, the saidcutters having wide outer portions sharpened at both edges to therebyproduce a double cutting action of the stalks passed between the bladesof the co-operating drums, the said drums having hollow interiors intowhich the cut ensilage is forced, the said drums being-open at theirends for" the discharge of the ensilage therefrom, and discharge devicesextended into the ends of said drums for positively forcing the ensilageout of the same.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signae tures.

ANDREAN G. RUNNING. ADOLPI-I RONNING.

